Thursday, March 10, 2016

Watch This Senate Hearing & You Will See Why The U.S. Senate Is Broken

If you really want to see a graphic example of how the
esteemed, august body of the U.S. Senate works and why it is broken you need to
force yourself to watch this March 10, 2016, hearing of the Senate Judiciary
Committee as they debate whether or not to hold a Constitutionally required
hearing to consider a nominee of the President to fulfill a vacancy on the U.S.
Supreme Court in the remaining term of President Obama.

What is important is to note how the Republicans
rationalize there decision not to hold a hearing based on the practices of
Democrats in the past on previous similar situations. The Democrats make there
stand based on the Constitution and the requirements of the President to make an
appointment and the Senate to "advise and consent" by holding a hearing on the
nomination and then make a recommendation and forward it to the full Senate for
a vote.

There is a constant theme that if the Democrats were in
power they would do the same thing and discussions of how when the Democrats
were in power they altered and bent the rules to suit their purposes -- so we
(Republicans) can do it too.

This is the critical dilemma and the reason the system is
broken. It is also the reason the Senators -- Democrats and Republicans --
cannot solve the problem. Laws, rules, procedures, policies, history -- and the
Constitution itself -- are interpreted, altered and contorted to fit the party
in power.

This is what the Senate Judiciary Committee website
indicates is its responsibility:

"When
a vacancy occurs on the Supreme Court, the President of the United States is
given the authority, under Article II of the United States Constitution, to
nominate a person to fill the vacancy. The nomination is referred to the United
States Senate, where the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing where the
nominee provides testimony and responds to questions from members of the panel.
Traditionally, the Committee refers the nomination to the full Senate for
consideration."
[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/supreme-court]